Retrofit fence panels

ABSTRACT

A retrofit panel for attachment to a land barrier comprising a base, where the base includes a front face and a back face; a set of reinforced edges surrounding the base, where the set reinforced edges include a pair of side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge; a plurality of attachment means to fasten the set of reinforced edges to the land barrier; and a veneer on the front face of the base, where the veneer has the appearance of a land barrier. The retrofit panel provides the appearance of a fence or brick wall once aligned next to each other along the entire barrier.

CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/753,981 filed on Jan. 17, 2013.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a panel covering that fits over an already existing fence or wall, thereby providing a different and improved look to a lawn barrier.

2. Description of Related Art

Homeowners are continuously looking for ways to improve the functionality and aesthetic appearance of their homes. A common outdoor addition or improvement is a fence to surround and create a barrier between neighboring lawns. When a new fence is erected neighboring homeowners must plan and decide what type of fence they want built, because each fence has two faces that is viewed and enjoyed on all sides of the enveloped lawn. Once decisions are made the construction and installation are performed to create a beneficial land barrier.

After some time the fence may wear or a new homeowner may want to change the look. When improvements are necessary or a new look is desired all of the surrounding neighbors must be consulted to decide look and costs. This is often time consuming and costly to get everyone to agree and contribute to the financial burden. If a consensus is not met, then the fence will simply remain as is unless one person decides and pays for everything.

Therefore it would be beneficial in the art to provide a way to change the look of a fence without having to completely destroy an old fence in order to erect a new one. It would also be desirable in the art to provide a customizable way to enable a homeowner to change their side of the fence without the costs associated with building a new one.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide a retrofit fence panel for attachment to an existing fence, configured to include all of the advantages of the prior art, and to overcome the drawbacks inherent therein.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a panel with the appearance of a wood panel fence or a brick wall that attaches to an already existing fence, thereby changing the entire look of the existing wall.

To achieve the above objects, in an aspect of the present invention, a retrofit panel for attachment to a land barrier is described comprising a base, where the base includes a front face and a back face; a set of reinforced edges surrounding the base, where the set reinforced edges include a pair of side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge; a plurality of attachment means to fasten the set of reinforced edges to the land barrier; and a veneer on the front face of the base, where the veneer has the appearance of a land barrier. The retrofit panel provides the appearance of a fence or brick wall once aligned next to each other along the entire barrier.

These together with other aspects of the present invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the present invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part of this present invention. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operating advantages, and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a retrofit fence panel in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of a retrofit fence panel in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the description of several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention relates to a panel covering that fits over an already existing fence or wall, thereby providing a different and improved look to a lawn barrier. The present invention provides a retrofit fence panel to easily install a wall façade to an existing fence. The retrofit fence panel is composed of a mounting panel with reinforced edging. The mounting panel is decorated to look like a wood panel fence or even a brick wall. Once all the retrofit panels are attached to the fence, the look of the front face of the fence is completely changed without having to destroy and rebuild a new fence.

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a retrofit fence panel 100 is show in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The retrofit fence panel 100 includes a base 110 which attaches to a front face of a portion of fence or short wall. The base 110 includes a front face 130 and a back face (not shown). The front face 130 is covered with a veneer 132 that has the appearance of aligned wood fence slats. The veneer 132 may be made from plastic, chemically treated compressed wood, vinyl, rubber or the like. The veneer 132 is waterproof and weatherproof to prevent wear and further the lifespan of the panels.

The base 110 includes a set of reinforced edges 112, 114, 116 to secure the retrofit fence panel 100 to the fence. The set of reinforced edges include a top edge 112, a pair of side edges 114 and a bottom edge 116. Each edge is fastened to the fence with a plurality of attachment means 118. The attachment means 118 may be screws, nails, bolts or the like. Along the top edge 112 is a flap 120 which rests above the top edge of the fence or wall. The flap 120 assists the reinforced edges 112, 114, 116 to support the base 110 and prevent the retrofit fence panel 100 from falling. The reinforced edges 112, 114, 116 and the flap 120 may be made from aluminum or steel.

After installation of the retrofit fence panel 100, a plurality of cover strips 122, 124 are positioned over the reinforced edges 112, 114, 116 to hide the attachment means 118. A pair of vertical strips 122 may cover the side edging 114, and a pair of horizontal strips 124 may cover the top 112 and bottom edging 116. The vertical strips 122 and the horizontal strips 124 may snap into place so that they are removable as needed by the user for repairs. The cover strips 122, 124 have the same appearance as the veneer 132 to maintain a continuous look from adjacent panels 100 along the fence.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a perspective view of a retrofit fence panel 200 is illustrated in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The retrofit fence panel 200 includes the same features as the first embodiment, including a set of reinforced edges 212, 214, 216, a top flap 220, and a plurality of cover strips 222, 224. The key difference is the front face 230. As illustrated, the veneer 232 has the appearance of a brick or stone wall. This way the user can give the look of a brick wall without having to remove their already existing fence.

With the retrofit fence panels the user is able to change their fences or garden walls in a much more cost effective and long lasting way. They don't have to hassle with removing and rebuilding their old fence. The retrofit panels simply attach side-by-side to the existing fence or wall. The cover strips match the look and texture of the veneer to maintain the aesthetic appearance of a continuous fence.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A retrofit panel for attachment to a land barrier comprising: a. a base, where the base includes a front face and a back face; b. a set of reinforced edges surrounding the base, where the set reinforced edges include a pair of side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge; c. a plurality of attachment means to fasten the set of reinforced edges to the land barrier; and d. a veneer on the front face of the base, where the veneer has the appearance of a land barrier.
 2. The retrofit panel according to claim 1, where the top edge includes a flap to rest atop the land barrier.
 3. The retrofit panel according to claim 1, where the veneer looks like a wood panel fence.
 4. The retrofit panel according to claim 1, where the veneer looks like a brick wall.
 5. The retrofit panel according to claim 1, where the veneer looks like a stone wall.
 6. The retrofit panel according to claim 1, where the set of reinforced edges include a plurality of cover strips, where the cover strips match the appearance of the veneer.
 7. The retrofit panel according to claim 5, where the plurality of cover strips is removable.
 8. The retrofit panel according to claim 6, where the plurality of cover strips is snap on.
 9. The retrofit panel according to claim 1, where a plurality of retrofit panels are aligned adjacent to one another to cover the entire land barrier.
 10. The retrofit panel according to claim 1, where the retrofit panel is waterproof
 11. The retrofit panel according to claim 9, where the waterproof retrofit panel is made from one of at least vinyl, plastic, chemically treated compressed wood or rubber. 